Property and asset management service plan 2025-28

A. Overview

Organisation chart

Achievements in 2024/25

Asset Management Team

• Secured a further lease extension to 31 March 2027 for our investment site 160-163 Friar Street achieving an annual income of £515k for a further two years.   
• Evaluated 18 and identified 2 RBC owned assets to support the need for Children’s homes and identified a further privately owned property that the Council are now purchasing. 
• Achieved Capital receipts of £4.086 million against a 2024/25 MTFS original target of £1.844 million which was increased to £3.861m under the transformation pressures. 
• Identified and progressing new or existing asset disposals as a GOLD project to generate in the region of £11.75m capital receipts over the next 3 years to contribute to the transformation board objectives. 
• Successfully negotiated 154 Assets transactions.  The increased income resulting from these transactions helped to achieve a revenue income of £4,862,733 as at December 2024/25.   
• Achieved a total business rates savings made from the 2017 rateable value of £659k including a landmark case on the old town hall of £529k resulting in an overall reduced rates bills of circa £330k. 
• Appointed commercial agents to deliver rates saving on the 2023 rating lists of circa 225 assets. 
• Reviewing the planning viability process generating more income and securing affordable housing.  Generating £31,644 fee income since April 2024. 
• Made good progress in populating the new Civica Assets Management software enabling automation of Asset Management processes. 
• Implemented several tasks identified in the action plan that form part of the Strategic Assets Management Strategy and commenced strategic portfolio reviews on Children’s homes, Car Parks, Pavilions and Libraries along with Community Buildings. 
• Completed a service review of the Asset Management Team, resourcing the service to respond to the need for additional income generation. 
• Completed a further 25 complex historic landlord and tenant cases outstanding from 2014.  
• Successfully assessed 186 properties to establish energy ratings and MEES compliance to ensure the councils leased out properties are an E or above rating and are compliant. 
• Supported Finance as joint lead in tendering for a new 5-year Asset Valuations Contract and continued to provide client advice, support, and technical input to address audit queries on, 2021/22 and 22/23 accounts and commenced 23/24. 
• Agreed heads of terms for sale of 16 Bennet Road to progress a capital receipt of £1 million.  
• Supported the acquisition for Housing of: – one buy back (in legal), one completed and two in legal for LAHF (Local Authority Housing Fund); and four in legal and one completed for SHAP (Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme). 
• Completed Insurance valuations inhouse working alongside the property services team, delivering savings from not outsourcing the work. 
• Managed a high influx of Right to Buy application following the change in legislation by central government due to the reduction in discount brought about by the budget. This has generated circa. 200 applications to home ownership team and subsequently resulting in progressing around 110 valued by Assets compared to the usual annual amount of 25 to 30.  
• Completion of the 3-year project to deliver the new River Academy secondary school working with 5 partners including Reading Festival and a complex land contract delivery structure.   
• Adopted at Proactive approach to estates management identifying capital receipt opportunities such as right to light and lease restructures achieving in excess £100,000. 
• Completing a master wayleave agreement with City Fibre enabling city wide 5g to be delivered to RBC residents. 
• Engaged on and progressing major development projects at Minster Quarter, The Oracle and Broad Street Mall.  
• Managing the valuation and sale/purchase element of the Homes for Reading portfolio transfer to the HRA of circa 90 units. 
• Working with the Highways Team as they install vehicular and pedestrian gates at St Marys Vicarage service yard to resolve a longstanding issue of rubbish, parking and general use of the yard and introducing stiffer controls on the yard use.

Corporate Property Services

• Continued service transformation to improve service delivery.   
• Maintained service delivery with three vacant posts. 
• Successful delivery of multiple capital projects enhancing building condition and operations including Town Hall roof works, response to RAAC, expansion and refurbishment of the vehicle maintenance workshop at Bennet Road. 
• Completed refurbishment of 27 Cressingham Children’s home providing improved sensory room, bathroom and outdoor play area. 
• Completed whole floor replacement to Southcote Children’s centre following floods. 
• Providing a fully refurbished play area to Kennet Day nursery within the Civic offices 
• Provision of relocated visitor parking to enable library works to the civic offices. 
• Completion of planned Phase 1A Cremator replacement, refurbishment and extension works. 
• Completed internal refurbishment works to 4 No. Schools to provide SEND/ARP places. 
• Completed the repurposing of the mayor’s toilet within the Civic to provide a 3- person office space. 
• Completed refurbishment to Prospect Park Ranger station additional office space and reconfiguration of existing space to increase play provision for children with Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) in young people. 
• Improved Security, CCTV and lighting systems across our depot, keeping staff and operational service equipment safe. 
• Installation of charging points and Solar PV in our continued strive towards this being a Net-Zero carbon depot. 
• Carrying out rebuild evaluations of all the properties within our estate, to ensure more accurate insurance provision.  Creating approximately £1,000/property savings in fees.  
• Structural Conservation and improvement work to Reading’s iconic Cemetery Junction archway and gates. 
• On-going response to Reactive Repairs and emergency works to resolve issues ranging from heating to blocked drains and pipework. 
• Achieved 99% Buildings Statutory Compliance (December 2024).   
• Procured and commissioned new term contractors for Statutory Compliance Services, Reactive Repairs and Planned Preventative Maintenance commissioned for all 16 areas of compliance.  Re-Procurement of Asbestos and Reactive Repairs Measured Term contracts is underway. 
• Leading the Directorate’s Health and Safety Committee to monitor and drive compliance in the operations and use of our built estate. 
• Met with the HSE who reviewed our management of Asbestos across our estate at corporate and operational level.  HSE commented on our ‘mature’ processes for monitoring and managing this and early feedback on follow visits to a select number of sites suggests no concerns with the management of asbestos in our publicly accessed buildings.

Education Property Development Team

Successful delivery of the Education Capital Programme, projects including –  

• Newbridge Nursery window replacement 
• Parklane remodelling 
• Whitley Park Boiler room refurbishment 
• Alfred Sutton Junior Block roof replacement 
• Flat roof replacement at Geoffrey Field Juniors 
• Flat roof replacement at Geoffrey Field Infants 
• Salix projects for Led lights in 13 schools 
• Geoffrey Field Juniors boiler replacement 
• Norcot Nursery fire alarm upgrade 
• Micklands fire alarm upgrade 
• Katesgrove SEN ARP provision 
• Thameside SEN provision 
• Whitley Park SEN provision 
• St Mary and All Saints SEN provision 
• Thameside External play refurb 
• Whitley Park external SEN play 
• Oxford Road External SEN play 
• TVS provision for SEN at Ridgeway 
• Caversham Primary flat roof replacement 
• Ranikhet school refurbishment 
• Culvert upgrade at Alfred Sutton 
• Wilson roof replacement design 
• Alfred Sutton pitched roof replacement started 
• RIBA Stage 0-1 Feasibility completed for new SEN school
• Facilitated and coordinated the delivery of the new River Academy School 

Facilities Management and Contracts Service

• Delivered improved corporate community centre facilities through team reprofiling and improvement plan with FM Supervisor recognised in TEAM Reading Awards in the ‘Dare to Try’ category. 
• Delivered improved housing community centre facilities by adopting the Corporate Facilities Management approach of compliance, maintenance and sustainability at Coley, Whitley, Hexham Rd and Lyndhurst Rd. Achieved via direct inputs from FM staff and supervision with regular collaborative meetings with the Housing operations teams.  
• Collaboratively delivered the Civic Offices Library and Reception enabling works phase opening the temporary Customer Service space without any down time requiring closure of the front door to customers. The phase included successfully moving staff to new locations in the Civic Offices, relocation of the Chief Executive Offices and the BFfC CSPoA office as well as the Registrars and main customer entrance. 
• Completed the final Changing Place facility at Civic Offices resulting in Changing Places being provided at multiple Council buildings including Rivermead, Palmer Park and Prospect Park funded by grant funding. 
• Completed the refurbishment of the Civic Offices staff and public toilets resulting in much improved facilities that will complement the new Civic Centre with the Library and enhanced reception. 
• Increased Community Hire income through improved spaces. 
• Reduced local printing restricting colour and high volume from local assets saving money. 
• Reduced unviable hot drink vending machine from 14 to 4 machines reducing Council spend. 
• Fuel improvements including implementation of FM related fuel audit recommendations. Safety and compliance enhancements including new fuel pump.  Successful retendering of the council’s fuel supply contract and moving budget to Commercial Services.   
• Contract Management, Procurement and Commissioning processes embedded and successfully delivered. 
• Contracts Pipeline for all services & works contracts – visibility on start & finish dates, values, key stakeholders, ODNs and uploads on Intend.

Business-as-usual services

The things your service does for residents or to support staff every day.

Asset Management Team

• Delivery of Assets Strategy action plan. 
• Maximising use, income & social value from the council’s estate. 
• Management of Assets Data through the Civica Asset Management Software. 
• Commercial Investment Management & Development. 
• Commercial and Residential Valuations, development & planning viability appraisals. 
• Delivery of land and property matters in respect of disposals and acquisitions, leases, licences and wayleave agreements, easements, covenants, encroachments. 
• Responding to the public in relation to ownership enquiries and questions of boundary responsibility, FOI’s and Cllr enquires (over 50) on assets held in the general fund. 
• Responding to applications for Asset to be listed as Assets of Community Value  
• Maintain the rent roll and invoice for rents / service charge on behalf of Service areas. 
• Monitoring debt and assisting accounts receivable in the collection of overdue accounts. 
• Day to Day management of Acre Business Park and St Marys Service Yard, including statutory compliance. 
• Responding to requests for consent from social housing providers (as tenant or successor in title) to vary shared equity structure in social housing schemes where RBC retains controlling interest and Right to Buys. 

Corporate Property Services

• Planned Preventative Maintenance, Reactive Repairs and Statutory Compliance Management of over 120 Corporate and Community Buildings. 
• Providing a Customer First service by daily monitoring of calls raised to our CAFM system to ensure all items are followed through to rectification. 
• Continuously monitoring trends in Fabric and MEP items reported to Planet for the potential to proactively package these for possible Capital pipeline works. 
• Managing projects through the RIBA Plan of works on behalf of client services across RBC. 
• Managing 8 measured Term Contracts for building services planned preventative maintenance and reactive repairs to ensure statutory compliance and safe service operations. 
• Managing 5 measured Term Contracts for building fabric reactive repairs for continued safe service operations. 
• Providing in-house expertise to wider RBC teams for all issues relating to buildings and services within, including Assets, Facilities, Schools and Brighter Futures for Children. 
• Lead on the Directorate’s Health and Safety committee to drive compliance in all services. 
• Provide systematic and structured in-house Architectural, Building Surveying, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering as well as Project Management services. 
• Plan and deliver a rolling programme of building improvement works based on stock condition surveys, client service operations requests and asset strategy, net zero carbon aspirations as well as Health and Safety. 

Education Property Development Team

• Delivery of Schools Capital and Revenue Projects 
• Schools Stock Condition Surveys and Works 
• Schools Statutory Compliance and Sustainability Works 
• Partnership Working with DFE to deliver major schools delivery projects and secure grant funding. 
• To work with schools and Governors to promote good Estate Management and Financial Planning for capital works. 

Facilities Management and Contracts Service

• Full facilities management of 13 FM buildings, 15 empty properties and 19 compliance only/part facilities managed buildings. 
• Management and delivery of cleaning services and a central printing, scanning and post services. 
• Management and provision of various council wide corporate FM contracts such as stationary, security, vending, courier, and other FM contracts. 
• Leading technical support for buildings whether fully or part managed.
• Property & Assets Contract Management, Procurement, commissioning, Forward Planning, and performance management 

B. Key Performance Indicators

Asset Management

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
MTFS target	Capital Receipts  Monthly progress reports to LPD	£	Bigger	Monthly	Cumulative	£1,550,000	£3,300,000	£2,520,000	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Aged Debt	Number of tenants having rent arrears overdue by more than 90 days. Income (Total no. of tenants 265)	£	Smaller	Monthly	Cumulative	40	30	20	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Landlord & Tenant	Number of Leases holding over beyond the lease expiry date pending renewal.	No.	Smaller	Monthly	Flat	50	40	30	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton

Education Property Development Team

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
Delivery of the Education Capital Programme.	Delivery of projects through DFE Basic Need funding and condition funding.	%	bigger	Annual	flat	100%	100%	100%	N	Linda Church
School condition improvements.	Number of school condition improvements which support the fabric first approach for the Climate Strategy.	No.	bigger	Annual	flat	8	8	8	N	Linda Church

Property Management

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
Statutory Compliance and Planned Preventative Maintenance	Compliance completed in all 17 areas in line with regulations.	%	bigger	monthly	flat	92%	94%	94%	N	Yvonne Mubanga

Facilities Management

Measure	Definition	Unit	Better (bigger or smaller)	Frequency (monthly, quarterly)	Target type (flat or cumulative)	Normal level/ Target 25/26	Normal level/ Target 26/27	Normal level/ Target 27/28	Council Plan KPI (Y/N)	Data provider
Fully managed, empty and compliance only FM buildings	Number of fully managed, empty and compliance only FM buildings.	No.	Bigger (more productive_ smaller (less cost)	monthly	flat	16 full FM 11 empty 17 compliance	17 full FM 8 empty 15 compliance	17 full FM 8 empty 15 compliance	N	Glyn Bethell
Unplanned days lost in a corporate FM building	Number of unplanned days lost in a corporate FM building because of a facilities management or maintenance issue.	No.	smaller	monthly	flat	0	0	0	N	Glyn Bethell
Unresolved official complaints	Number of unresolved official complaints in FM	No.	smaller	monthly	flat	0	0	0	N	Glyn Bethell

C. Objectives for 2025-25

The most important changes your service is aiming to deliver over the period of this service plan. 

This should include Council Plan objectives and any additional objectives at service level. 

Example: “Prevent the escalation of children’s needs through developing family hubs.” Objectives should: 

• Clearly and concisely state the outcome we are trying to achieve and how we will deliver it. 
• Be realistic given available resources and relevant to the priorities set out in the Council Plan. 
• Have an associated KPI that tells us whether we have achieved the objective. 

See the annex for a full list of Council Plan priorities and objectives. 

Objectives (one objective per row)	Council Plan objective? (Y/N)	Relevant Council Plan priority
Support prevention of the escalation of children’s needs through developing family hubs.	Y	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children
Continue moving towards a net zero, resilient Reading and Council by 2030.	Y	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint
Continue to support delivery of quality cultural and leisure services and facilitate exciting improvements to our cultural offer through grant-funded projects.	Y	Secure Reading’s economic and cultural success
Ensure safe and statutory compliant buildings to support the provision of all RBC services operations.	N	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.
Adopt a fabric first approach that supports efficient thermal insulation, heating, lighting and control systems when designing, refurbishing and maintaining buildings.	N	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.
Provide sufficient pupil places in schools	N	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children
Maintain school buildings to provide a safe educational environment	N	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children
Lead on Priority Gold and Silver projects towards developing a portfolio of children’s homes and SEND provision within the Borough.	Y	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children

D. Projects

The specific activities and programmes work that will deliver the objectives set out above. 

Projects should be: 

• Focused on tangible deliverables rather than outcomes (e.g. “build a new library and reception area in the Civic Centre” would be preferable to “celebrate Reading’s arts, culture, and heritage”). 
• Time-limited (with a defined beginning and end) and distinct from BAU activity (ongoing activities should be reflected in the “business as usual” section). 

Property Services

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Town Hall & Museum Roof and external fabric Conservation Improvement Works	Roof improvement works to seal building fabric and reduce water ingress to museum and other areas affecting the level of services an internal environment of the venue	July 2024	March 2027	£1.5m	Finance Legal Procurement	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Yvonne Mubanga
Education Assets Mechanical & Electrical capital projects	Buildings fitted with LED lighting, Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) and Building Management Systems (BMS) and updated fire alarms where appropriate.	March 25	March 26	TBC	Finance Legal Procurement	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Yvonne Mubanga
The Hexagon Theatre Fabric, Structural and M&E works	Medium to long term Asset Management considerations, following completion of RAAC surveys, to ensure the continued safe use of the theatre alongside the new extension, once completed.	TBC	March 2028	TBC	Finance Legal Procurement	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Yvonne Mubanga
Henley Rd Cemetery	Design, expansion, and refurbishment of facilities at Henley Road Cemetery as well as installation of new cremator	TBC	tbc	£1 million	Finance Legal Procurement Customer	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Yvonne Mubanga
Palmer Park Library Roof	Whole roof replacement to enable full use of public library and access to books, currently limited to avoid leaks damage	March 2026	March 2027	£400,000	Legal, Finance	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Yvonne Mubanga

Assets

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Disposal Package  (Gold Project)	Arrange Disposal of current list of 9 sites	October 2024	Dec 2025	N/A	Legal  Finance	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint.	Y	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Broad Steet Mall Car Park – Disposal  (Gold Project)	Capital receipt and facilitate regeneration of Broad Street Mall car park	Jan 2024	June 2025	Consultant fees total circa £50-60k	Legal Parking Services Finance	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	Y	Dee Maddox-Hinton
	Implement the outcomes from the Strategic Assets Strategy and Action Plan.	April 24	Ongoing	N/A	All services	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Minster Quarter Regeneration Project  (Silver Project)	Support in leading the transformation of Reading’s Minster Quarter.	Ongoing	Ongoing		Legal Services. Finance Service. Commercial agents.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Commercial Investment Portfolio Strategic Review   (Gold Project)	Delivery of a Strategic Review of our Investment Portfolio supporting future direction and decision making.	March 24	June 25	TBC	Legal Services. Finance Service. Commercial agents.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
The Oracle Development  (Gold Project)	Facilitate Hammerson development and comply with S123 external consultant appointed to negotiate and advise.	April 24	Ongoing	TBC	Legal Services. Finance Service. Commercial agents.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Acre Business Park Review & Enhancement   (Gold Project)	Enhance the leasing structure.  Review retention or Disposal to achieve capital receipt	April 2024	December 2025	£600k	Legal Services. Finance Service. Design Consultants.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Cattle market  (Gold Project)	Progress Strategic plan for the Cattle Market site.	April 2024	2026	TBC	Legal Services. Finance Service.  Commercial agents.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Homes for Reading transfer   (Gold project)	Progress transfer of assets back to RBC	November 24	2026/27	N/A	Legal	Develop fairer communities and affordable housing	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
2023 Business Rates appeal   (Gold project	Challenge Rating assessments	Q1 2025	2028/9	TBC	Finance  Commercial agents	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Island Road  (Gold Project)	Complete contracts to secure future capital receipts.	April 2024	March 2027	N/A	Legal  Finance Commercial agents.	Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future.	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Regulations (MEES) implementation – Net Zero	Work towards minimum EPC C rating for commercial properties by 2027, before an ultimate target of minimum EPC B ratings by 2030.  Aim higher than ‘C’ – ‘B’, ‘A’ for most properties.	Q3 2025	2030	TBC	Legal  Procurement	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Dee Maddox-Hinton

Facilities Management

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Deliver a new Civic Centre, including a new Central Library and improved Registrars and Customer provision.	A new fit for purpose Reading Library that better meets customer needs.	2023	2026	£14 million	Finance, Legal, PMO, IT, Property & Assets, Procurement.	Continue to deliver quality cultural and leisure services and facilitate exciting improvements to our cultural offer through grant-funded projects.	Y	Charan Dhillon

Education Property Development

Project name	What will this deliver and what will the benefits be?	Start date (month-year)	End date (month-year)	Budget	What resources is this project dependent on? (e.g. finance, legal, IT)	Relevant Council/Service Plan objective (from table above)	Council Plan project? (Y/N)	Data provider
Deliver new SEN pupil places through refurbishment of existing schools	High needs block savings. Local places for SEN pupils. Use of spare capacity in existing school buildings	Oct 2024	2026/27	TBD	Legal Finance Procurement Valuations Planning	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children	Y	Linda Church
SEN Additional Resourced provisions	High needs block savings. Local places for SEN pupils. Use of spare capacity in existing school buildings	April 2025	March 2026	TBD	Legal Finance Procurement Valuations Planning	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children	Y	Linda Church
Park Lane Primary School	Improved School buildings	On site	July 2025	£3.2m	Legal Services. Finance Service. Procurement. IT Planning Transport Climate	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children	N	Linda Church
School Fabric Condition Programme Delivery Mechanical and Electrical programme across school Estate Delivery. Adopting a Fabric first approach to support Climate Strategy	Delivery of 3-year programme of major capital works across the RBC School estate	Ongoing	March 2026	£1.2m	Legal Services. Finance Service. Procurement. IT Planning Transport Climate	Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint	N	Linda Church
Delivery of Education Capital Programme	Delivery of Education Capital programme	Ongoing	March 2026	£4.2m	Legal Services. Finance Service. Procurement. IT Planning Transport Climate	Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children	N	Linda Church

Annex: Council Plan priorities and objectives 

Vision: Our Vision is to help Reading realise its potential and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share the benefits of its success.

Priority 1: Promote affordable housing and more equal communities 

• Tackle economic inequality by taking a place-based approach to how we deliver all our services, and enhance access to education, skills, and training opportunities.  
• Deliver new energy efficient council homes and improve tenant satisfaction with social housing.  
• Prevent the escalation of children’s needs through developing Family Hubs. 
• Promote best practice across Reading’s schools, helping to improve educational attainment and narrow the gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 
• Prevent and reduce health inequalities within the population of Reading and improve and protect the health and wellbeing of all its communities. 
• Through the community safety partnership, focus on reducing community-based drug activity, knife violence, violence against women and girls and youth reoffending. 
• Work with partners to prevent homelessness, provide value for money accommodation for those that are homeless, and move people onto settled accommodation as quickly as possible. 

Priority 2: Secure Reading’s economic and cultural success 

• Enable the delivery of over 800 high-quality new homes a year in Reading, along with the infrastructure to support new development. 
• Promote the economic success of Reading by working with councils across Berkshire and the wider Thames Valley. 
• Maximise the benefits available for Reading from opportunities arising from the English Devolution White Paper. 
• Continue to deliver quality cultural and leisure services and facilitate exciting improvements to our cultural offer through grant-funded projects. 

Priority 3: Promote a sustainable and healthy environment and reduce Reading’s carbon footprint 

• Make use of central government funding to deliver improvements to public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure in Reading. 
• Keep Reading moving by delivering investment in highways, including roads, bridges, streetlighting and traffic signals. 
• Continue moving towards a net zero, resilient Reading and council by 2030. 
• Further improve the physical environment of Reading by improving air quality, access to green space, and the quality of public spaces. 
• Deliver major changes to our waste and recycling service to ensure compliance with new legislation. 

Priority 4: Safeguard and support the health and wellbeing of Reading’s adults and children 

• Reduce the number of children in care and the number of children in residential care. 
• Improve our local Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) offer and support education settings to develop inclusive practice, so children receive high quality education locally, and achieve their potential. 
• Support those who need social care services to live as independently as possible in a place they call home with improved wellbeing. 
• Improve our offer for unpaid Carers, ensuring they are supported to live well and can sustain their caring role. 
• Work with our partners in health and the voluntary sector to provide support solutions for those with complex health and social care needs to improve outcomes. 

Priority 5: Ensure Reading Borough Council is fit for the future 

• Deliver good, accessible services for our customers. 
• Invest in technology that is secure and helps deliver effective services. 
• Use procurement of goods and services to secure greater social value and spend locally. 
• Bring Brighter Futures for Children (Children’s Services) back to the council. 
• Be a fair employer with an attractive and competitive offer and a workforce that is representative of the local community.